Tow-line operator and alarm.



No. 662,774. Patented Nov. .27, I900... F. P. DAVIS.

TOW LINE OPEBATDR AND ALARM.

(Application filed July 26, 1900.)

(H Model.)

YW Z THE/NDRRXS PEYERS co, mom-urns" WASHWYGTON n. c.

iUNiITED Strarns idamnnrr Orrtcn.

FRANKLIN P. DAVIS, OF MOBILE, ALABAMA.

TOW LINE OPERATOR AND ALARM.

tilEEGIl FIGA'I'ION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,774, datedNovember 27, 1900.

' Application filed July 26. 1900. Serial No. 24,926. (No model..

To an whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN P. DAVIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Mo bile, in the county of Mobile and State of Alabama, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Tow-LineOperators and Alarms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to areel attachment for boats, and particularlyto a spring-c011 trolled reel for automatically working the line of atrailing boat or skiff, according to the movement of the latter,'and ofa yacht or other vessel carrying the reel.

One object of the invention is to provide a spring-controlled reeladapted to be attached to a yacht or other vessel and having a trailing-line end secured to the drum of the reel, with a stop-knot in theline, the other end of the line being attached to a row-boat or skiff,whereby the latter is free to trail after the vessel, with the linealways in taut condition.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide an alarm device for thereel, whereby the latter will operate and sound the alarm gradually orat intervals during the proper working of the line; but in case ofaccident to the line the reel will make a continuous or rushing soundingof the alarm, thereby giving a signal of distress.

Other objects, advantages, and improved results are to be attained byand through the invention, as hereinafter disclosed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, Figure 1is a perspective view of a yachtcarrying the reel and having a skiff orrow-boat trailed thereby. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the reel and itscasing. Fig. 3 is a top view of. the reel.

The same numeral references denote the same parts throughout the severalviews of the drawings.

A reel-casing 1, having a removable top 2 and a side eye or aperture 3,is secured to the vessel or yacht deck by screws 4c, or the easing mayhave exterior ears for securing it in any suitable or convenientposition about, in, or upon a yacht or other vessel. The top 2 isprovided with a bell 5, having a pendant 6, from the bell-clapperthrough the said top.

The reel 7 has a hollow drum 7 containing a coil-spring 8, one end ofwhich is attached to the drum and the other end to spindle 9, which issecured to the top and bottom of the reel-casing. The reel is providedwith a lug 10 to engage the bell-pendant 6 during the revolution of thereel in both directions, and thereby sound the bell. The reel is mountedin the casing upon the spindle 9 and has ball-bearings 11 between it andthe top and bottom of the casing. A line of rope 12 has one end securedto the drum, passes through the aperture 3, is provided with a stop-knotl3, and its other end is secured to a row-boat or skid.

The operation is as follows: The reel is turned to wind up or compressthe spring. One end of the trailing line is secured. to the drum. Theother end is passed through the casingaperture and provided with a knotat the distance from this end of the rope it is intended that the boator skiff shall trail from the yacht or vessel. Then the reel ispermitted to turn or revolve in the opposite direction,which winds theline upon the drum until it is stopped by the knot striking the casingat the said aperture. In this condition the free end of the line isready for the boat or skiff, and the latter in trailing from the linewill maintain a sufficient distance from the vessel, as may be desired.Owing to the spring tension of the line and because of this tension andthe pull of the skiff the line is kept taut, and it may be drawn fromthe drum by the action of the vessel or boat or by both jointly, but isautomatically rewound thereon. During the turning of the reel in eitherdirection, which is gradually back and forth, according to the relativemovement of the skiff and vessel, the lug 1O strikes the bell-pendantand sounds the bell, which is an indication that all is Working well;but should the skiff become detached, the line break at any point, orother accident happen to the proper working of the device the expansionof the spring will retract the reel with a rush and sound the bellcontinuously, thus giving a signal of distress.

In some cases it may not be convenient to have the stop-knot workagainst the casing. In such cases I fixa screw-eye, bulls-eye, or chockto the vessel and pass the line through it, so that the stop-knot willstrike the eye.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

1. An automatic tow-line operator adapted to be attached to a yacht orother vessel, comprising a reel having one end of the line securedthereto in operative connection With an audible signal on the reel, andthe other end attached to a skiff or boat to be towed, a stop-knot at apredetermined point in the line, a spring in the reel to automaticallyturn the latter relative to the movement of the skiff and yacht, andmeans engaged by the knot to stop the turning of the reel and to leavethe end of the line nearest the knot free to operate the skiff.

2. The combination, with the casing having a removable top an eye in thecasing and means for attaching the casing in a flat position to a yachtor other vessel, of the springcontrolled reel, a line extending throughthe the eye, and to leave the portion of the line from the knot outsidethe casing free.

In Witness whereof I hereunto set my hand in the presence of twoWitnesses.

FRANKLIN P. DAVIS.

Witnesses:

JAS. W. GRAY, D. P. BESTOR.

